Lens-tube for photographic apparatus



(No Model.)

W. H. TRUEMAN. LENS TUBE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIG APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. TRUEMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LENS-TUBE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 435,335, dated August 26, 1890.

Application filed Pebruaryl5, 1890. Serial No. 340,521. (No model.) 9

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. TRUEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Attaching Lens-Tubes to Photographic and other Apparatus and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention.

My invention has relation to photographic and other apparatus employing a detachable lens, and has for its object the provision of novel, cheap, simple, and effective means whereby lenses of difierent sizes may be readily and securely fastened to the same 1ensboard orother support and with equal facility detached therefrom.

My invention consists in the formation in the edge of the usual central opening in the lens-board, which opening is of such size as to accommodate the largest lens-tube, of a smooth annular groove 0r recess, into which is simply dropped the flanged collar usually secured to the inner end of the lens-tube in lieu of the usual threaded and flanged collar screwed to the lens-board, and intowhich the lens-tube flange is usually screwed, thus, instead of there being necessary a number of turnings of the lens-tube, in order to get the same into position, there is but one act nec essary, as above suggested. WVhen, however, a lens-tube of smaller diameter, with its appropriate flanged collar, is to be placed in the lens-board opening, a flat ing whose circumference corresponds with the said openin g and the diameter of its central opening cor responds with that of the flange on the lenstube collar is dropped into the recess in the lens-board opening, thus in effect lessening the diameter of the latter, into which ring is dropped the flanged end of the lens-tube, as in the first instance. In all cases the diameter of the central opening in the said ring is governed by the size of the lens-tube flange, while the circumferences of all the rings are alike.

My invention further consists in the provision of suitable devices for securing the flanged collar on thelens-tube in the recess in the lens-board or in the central opening of the ring, in which latter case the pressure of the collar on the ring will serve to keep the latter in place in said recess, the form of which devices will be more particularly shown in the drawings and hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 are vertical sections of a lens-tube board and my improved attachment in their operative relation. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3 With one method of fastening the parts together. Fig. 5 is a like view with a modified form of fastening, and Fig. dis a side elevation of the same. Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views of further modifications of the fastening devices.

A represents the lens -board, which of course is fastened to the box of the camera in the usual manner, so that such box need not be shown in the drawings, provided with the usual opening a. Instead, however, of making the edges of said opening flat, a recess or angular groove a is formed in the front of the board A and in the contiguous edge of the opening a. y

13 represents the lens-tube, of large size, having screwed onto its inner end the usual flanged collar having the upward extension or flange b, the lateral flange Z), and the downward extension or flange 19 which latter, instead of being screwed into another flange secured to the board A, is placed within the recess a, in which position the under side of the flange b rests on the lens-board, and the flange 12 being a shade less in diameter than that of the recess a, prevents lateral motion of the lens-tube. The fastening devices, to be hereinafter described, bear on the outer face of the flange b and prevent its dis-' lodgement accidentally from the recess, and by their pressure prevent shaking of the lens tube. At the same time by loosening the fastenings sufficiently to allow the lens-tube to be rotated the lens can be adjusted to any position necessary and maintained rigidly in such position by tightening the fastening, which is an impossibility with the usual form of threaded collar, for the reason that at any position less than home the tube is loose and liable to further rotation.

O is a lens-tube of less diameter than the tube B. Consequently the depending flange 0 thereof is of less diameter than that of the recess a. Therefore the ring D or flat disk with the central opening (1 therein, which is a shade larger than the flange c, is provided, which ring is placed in the said recess. Then the flange c is placed in the opening d, in which position the lateral flange c of the collar on tube (3 rests on the outer face of the ring D, to which flange the fastening devices are applied, and the flange c grasps in the usual manner the tube 0, the pressure of said devices serving to keep the flange c in the opening 01, and at the same time the ring D in the recess a.

E is a lens-tube of less diameter than either of the above-described tubes. Consequently a ring F of the same circumference as the ring D,but having a central opening f therein smaller than the opening d, so as to provide for the reception of the flange e on the collar of. the tube E, is provided, the flange e resting on the ring D and receiving the impact of the fastening devices, after the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and the flange e grasping the tube E. Without further illustration it is quite obvious that the above-described provision of rings for the reception of the collar-flanges can be prolonged indefinitely, the relative sizes of the central openings and circumferences diminishing or increasing with the sizes of the tubes.

G G in Fig. 4 illustrate one form of fastening device in the shape of flat fingers loosely pivoted between their ends on screws 9 and supporting in their outer ends the thumb-screws g, the ends of the latter bearing on segmental plates 9 on the'lens-board A, so that when the lens-tube E, with its flanged collar, is placed on the ring F, with its flange e in the opening f, the fingers or, more properly speaking, levers G G are swung toward the central opening until they reach the flange e in which position their free ends are diametrically opposite, whereupon the screws g are turned inwardly, and thus raise the ends in which they are placed, and, depressing the free ends, causing them to press tightly on the flange e, and thus keep the flanged collar and lens-tube and the ring F securely in position.

H H in Fig. 5 are other forms of fastening-levers, which are somewhat similar to G G and operate on the flange e in the same manner, the difierencebeing in pivoting them on the thumb-screws h, which are sustained in the lens-board A, their operation being first swinging into the position-shown in said Fig. 5, and finally turning the screws h inwardly, causing their outer ends to press tightly on said flange e, and, owing to the fact that they so press on opposite sides of the center of the flange, there will be fan even bearing all around of the same on the ring, which is also the case with the levers G G.

- Consequently all tendency toward rocking of bars I I, pivoted or hingedat one end on screws 73 in the board A and having their outer free ends passed under a pressure-bar K, the latter extending at right angles with the arms I I and having at each end an opening for the passage of posts 7c, which form guideways for the vertical movement of the bar K.

K is a thumb-screw passing through the bar K and into the board A, which when screwed inwardly causes the bar K to press downwardly the arms I I when in the position shown in Fig. 7, which between their ends bear on the flange e and keep the same in proper contact with the ring F. It may be found desirable to attach springs to the arms I I in such a way as to cause them to normally incline toward the center of the lenstube opening, and thus cause them to automatically assume the position shown in Fig. 7, instead of their having to be placed in such position.

Fig. 8 illustratesafurther modification of the fastening device, which is particularly adapted for use in what is known as a detectivecamera, in which camera the plate which supports the lens is rather close to the front of the case in which the camera is contained, so that there is little room'for manipulating the lens in order to place it in position. Therefore I provide the bars L L, pivoted or hinged on the screws 1 in the plate M andv receiving through their under sides the thumb-screws Z, which pass from the rear of the plate through segmental slots 1", said bars being swung to the full outward extent to allow of the passage of the flanged collar, and when the latter is in place swung into the position shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the screws Z are turned inwardly, drawing the bars L L down and causing them to exert a clamping action on the flange n of the tube N, keeping the same and the ring 0 securely in place in the recessed opening.

With the provision of the old form of threaded collar for the lens-tube, where the same is used for instantaneous photography, if the lens-tube be turned or unscrewed for any purpose, which of course loosens it, the

jar occasioned by the snap of the shutter causes the lens-tube to farther rotate and get out of adjustment, and wherethe lens-tube is very large the operator must use both hands to screw the lens-tube into position, not to mention the great number of turns he must give it before it is screwed all the way in, no matter what the size of the tube is, all of which objections are overcome by the provision of my hereinbet'ore-described improvements.

Other forms of fastenings may be used in connection with the flanged collar, ring, and recess. Therefore I do not confine my invention to the particular form of fastening shown in the drawings, nor do I confine my improvements to use on a camera, as the same are equally applicable to optical lanterns and other apparatus where the use of a detachable lens is desired.

I am aware that stove-pipes of different sizes have been heretofore fitted to a single opening by the use of rings with lugs thereon engaging with hooks on or with the under side of the part on which the rings are placed, so that I do not Wish to be understood as claiming the same or any other fastening forming part of the rings.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a photographic or other apparatus, the combination of a groove or recess in the edge of the opening in the lens-board, a flanged collar secured on the lens-tube and resting in said recess, and means secured on said lens-board outside said opening for exerting pressure on and securing said collar in the recess, for the purpose described.

2. In a photographic or other apparatus, the combination of a groove or recess in the edge of the opening in the lens-board, a flat disk or ring having a central opening and resting in said recess, a flanged collar secured on the lens-tube and resting in the ring-opening, and means secured on said lens-board outside said opening for exerting pressure on and securing the ring and collar in the recess and opening, respectively, for the purpose described.

3. In a photographic or other apparatus, the combination of a recess a in the edge of the opening a in the lens-board, the flange b in said recess and the flange 1), resting on said lens-board, and means secured on. said lens-board outside said opening for exerting pressure on and keeping said flanges in their respective positions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a photographic or other apparatus, the combination of a recess a in the edge of the opening a in the lens-board, the ring D with the opening d therein in said recess, the flange c in the opening d and the flange c, resting on said ring, and means secured on said lens-board outside said opening for exerting pressure on and keeping said flanges and ring in their respective positions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a photographic or other apparatus, the combination of a groove or recess in the edge of the opening in the lens-board, a flanged collar secured on the lens-tube and. resting in said recess, the arms G G, pivoted on the screws 9, the inner ends of said arms bearing on the collar-flange and their outer ends supporting the thumb-screws g, and the segmental plates 9 substantially as and for the purpose described.

v6. In a photographic or other apparatus, the combination of a groove or recess in the edge of the opening in the lens-board, a flat disk or ring having a central opening and resting in said recess, a flanged collar secured on the lens-tube and resting in the ring-opening, the arms G G, pivoted on the screws 9, theinner ends of said arms bearing on the collar-flange and their outer ends supporting the thumb-screws g, and the segmental plates 9 substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of February, A. D. 1890.

IVILLIAM H. TRUEMAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. WILLIAM, J 0s. 0. MOORE. 

